Blog - Page 4 of 13 - Frank Parker

Birmingham City: Keep Right On To The End Of The Road

There is only one team in Birmingham worth supporting with true passion and Birmingham City is it. I have been supporting them since 1978 when Jim Smith was the manager. He is my favourite manager to date. I am a blue nose ’til I die.

You can read lots more about Blues by clicking here.

The following article is all about Blues current situation in the Championship as of March the 13th, 2024.

It also appears (slightly edited) on Blues Focus. It is my first article for them. Click here to view.

Contents

How Are We Doing?

You can see all our results from this season so far here.

As of the time of writing this on March the 13th, 2024 Blues are uncomfortably lying in 21st place, just one point from the bottom three. We have only drawn one game in the last five. Our last game was our game in hand against Middlesbrough which was a must-win and we didn’t.

Is It Time To Worry?

Worry! Yes and No! Be very anxious, most definitely!

Being worried for me depends if we can get a much-needed three points against Watford in our next game and it depends if we drop into the bottom three and stay there by the middle of April.

We have eight games to play after Watford and I am not going to lie, it is now at the squeaky bum time of the season but we have escaped relegation before. Will our luck run out finally and we go down to League One? We will know that for sure come our last game on the 4th of May but until it is mathematically proven we are down then the season isn’t over yet despite a majority of so-called fans on social media throwing the towel in already.

I am trying hard to keep the faith. I’ll be honest, it’s been harder than other times we have been in this situation but I always try to take the positives out of every game and I always have hope, not just in football but in life itself. It’s what keeps me going. I will always back the team and most of all the badge, which will always come first for me regardless of who is playing, what manager is in charge, who owns the club or what league we are in.

Make no bones about it, April is going to be tough for us but it’s not like we haven’t been in a relegation fight before. Blues do what we do best and that is fight until the end. Now is not the time to point fingers and blame so and so but a time for players and fans to stay strong, TOGETHER.

Will Tony Mowbray Be Back In Charge For The Q.P.R. Game?

It was rumoured today on social media that the Blues boss Tony Mowbray would be back after being away since the 19th of February for the home game against Queen’s Park Rangers on March the 29th.

I take rumours online with a pinch of salt but I do hope it is true, all Blues fans will feel the same I am sure, but I only want that if he is truly well enough for the task of the tough days ahead until the end of the season. We need him now, more than ever.

Do We Get A Temporary Manager In If Mowbray Doesn’t Return Soon?

Some “fans” have suggested on social media that Chairman Of The Board Tom Wagner should bring in another temporary manager to take over from current temporary manager Mark Venus because he isn’t cutting the mustard. These comments are ridiculous. This would not only be disrespectful to Venus, but it would be especially disrespectful to Mowbray and undermine his authority. If it were to happen he would resign for sure, as would Venus and the rest of the staff and then the temporary manager may stay, he may not and then we have to get yet another new manager and staff and hope they will be successful. It would be total madness and have the club moving backwards, not forward and I can’t see Wagner wanting that to happen.

What If?

What if the worst comes to the worst and Blues do get relegated to League One? Then what? We keep supporting them regardless that’s what, it’s what a true, loyal Blues fan does. Of course, it would be heartbreaking but it would not be the end of the world.

We dropped down to the old third division in 1989 for the first time in our history and it wasn’t until 2002 that we were in the Premiership (established in 1992). Under the shrewd ownership of Knighthead Co-Founder and Co-C.E.O. Tom Wagner and the experience of manager Tony Mowbray, it won’t take as long to get back to the glory days, I am sure of that.

Will Wagner And Knighthead Capital Depart If We Get Relegated?

Some “fans” on social media believe this will happen, but I don’t. Wagner doesn’t look like someone who is a quitter. He and Knighthead have invested too much time and money into Birmingham City and financially it wouldn’t make sense for them to move on without making a profit on their investment. Wagner said it was a long-term plan to get Birmingham City back into the Premiership and, as a man of integrity, I do not believe he would go back on his word and do that to the Blues fans.

And Finally

Albeit we stay up or go down, win, lose or draw, everyone has a right to an opinion and to get angry, sad or whatever emotion the joys and sorrows of being a Blues fan entails but being aggressive and abusive to your own supporters, players, manager or owners online or to their faces can’t be condoned. I think it is better not to comment at all as things get said that shouldn’t be in the heat of the moment. Even if what you say is meant in good faith, your words easily get misconstrued and twisted on social media and get used against you.

I am an empathetic and passionate bloke and have supported Blues since the late 70’s. Since my teens, I have battled with depression and anxiety and at the moment, I just can’t watch them play lately. It does not help my mental health at all. My anxiety and stress levels have been too high for my comfort lately.

It’s like watching a family member or your pet suffer. It’s heartbreaking. However, that doesn’t make me not care what’s going on, I just currently can’t take the stress. It genuinely makes me feel ill.

I always say, for me, supporting Blues is like having a girlfriend or wife that pisses me off or makes me sad, I love her and I forgive her but at times I need my own space, ha ha, but as the header says above, true Blues fans will always KEEP RIGHT ON TO THE END OF THE ROAD.

Blog Posts

Birmingham City: A New Era Begins.

Birmingham City: A Tribute To Trevor Francis.

Birmingham City: Blues Are Sadly Relegated To League One.

Birmingham City: Blues History.

Birmingham City: First Team Squad For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Fixtures, Results And Goal Scorers For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Gary Rowett, Paul Robinson And Dave Carolan Return To Steady The Ship For Blues.

Birmingham City: Kits For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: My First Home Game Of The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Staff For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Summer Transfers For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Trevor Francis.

Notes And Links

The Birmingham City Club logo shown at the top of this page is the copyright of Birmingham City F.C. and has come from Blues social media pages and website.

Birmingham City F.C. – Official website.

Birmingham City on Facebook – This is their official Facebook page.

Birmingham City on Twitter – This is their official Twitter page.

Birmingham City on YouTube – This is their official YouTube page.

Blues Store Online – Birmingham City’s official club store online.

Blues Focus – Official website. Bringing you closer to Birmingham City Football Club.

Blues Focus on Facebook – This is their official Facebook page.

Blues Focus on Twitter – This is their official Twitter page.

Blues Focus on Instagram – This is their official Instagram page.

Blues Focus on YouTube – This is their official YouTube channel.

Charities: Help Harry Help Others

Help Harry Help Others (H.H.H.O.) is a charity close to Birmingham City’s heart and worthy of any support it gets.

Harry Moseley was a remarkable young lad who whilst battling an inoperable brain tumour, was inspired to make a difference to all people with brain cancer when a friend of his who also had a brain tumour became very ill. Within the space of just over two years, Harry had organised and attended nearly 100 events to raise money for and awareness of brain cancer. He touched the hearts of the nation with his efforts and helped change the lives of everyone he met. You can read his story here.

Please help H.H.H.O. in any way you can. You can donate to them below.

Georgina Moseley explains how Help Harry Help Others started.

Help Harry Help Others logo featuring Harry Moseley.

Contents

About Help Harry Help Others

From Harry Moseley’s mom Georgina, and founder / C.E.O. of Help Harry Help Others:

“I understand personally how a diagnosis of cancer can impact your life. Endless hospital appointments or stays in hospital, normal family routines disrupted and for lots of people the huge financial implications that such an illness inflicts – especially for home owners and those having to leave employment due to their own illness or becoming a carer for a loved one… and that’s without the emotional stress of such a journey.

That’s exactly why Help Harry Help Others has become its own charity and is structured so that we can offer every inch of practical support right in the heart of the community. We ensure our services are accessible, there is somewhere to go when you are having a bad day, and that we have advisors at our centres that offer support in all areas that you may need because of the life-changing circumstances Cancer inflicts.

Here at Help Harry Help Others we want to support you too! Please take a look at our services and if you need extra help do contact us so that we can support you and you can then focus on what’s really important – each other!”

Georgina Moseley during the Danceathon in celebration of Harry’s Heavenley 24th birthday on 21/02/2024.

Their is a Just Giving page about it here if you want to donate towards it.

Their Mission

(1) To offer cancer patients and their families and friends any support that is needed outside of treatment, all from under one roof.

(2) In a home-from-home environment they offer time, empathy, urgency and understanding and help you tackle all the practical, financial and emotional challenges you face.

(3) Their service is here for patients, carers, family, friends and work colleagues. Cancer impacts everybody, so they are here for everyone.

(4) No one should feel isolated or face Cancer alone. They offer accessible support in the heart of the community to adults and children affected by ANY type of Cancer.

All of the services they offer are free.

What Makes Them Unique

(1) No appointments are required. Just drop in and be guaranteed support.

(2) No referrals are required. You can reach out for immediate support yourself.

(3) A reactive service. They understand you need help NOW.

(4) No Postcode lottery. if your affected by cancer and can get to them, they can help with the rest.

(5) Time is the most precious gift of all. Whether you are an adult or a child, Help Harry Help Others makes time to support you, whatever type of cancer you are affected by.

However you are affected they are there to support you.

How They Help

(1) Drop in Cancer Support. They offer grants through their HelpCOPE fund to those who are suffering financial hardship and also run a Drop in Cancer Support Centre via their HelpCARE fund.

(2) Finding a Cure. Help Harry Help Others is unique in its efforts to not only help find a cure for brain cancer via their HelpCURE fund, but also in helping adults and children who are affected by ANY cancer.

(3) Free On Site Services. The centre offers over 17 free services on site and supports adults and children with every inch of support they may need outside of treatment.

Help Harry Help Others support the mental well-being of cancer patients, family members, carers, work colleagues and friends.

Click here to meet their trustees, ambassadors, staff, service providers and volunteers.

Click here to see all the services they offer.

Donate

You can donate to Help Harry Help Others by clicking here.

Address

Registered Office:

8 Midland Croft

East Meadway

Birmingham

B33 0AW

Telephone

Enquiries: 0121 783 5407

E-Mail

Enquiries: enquiries@hhho.org.uk

Opening Hours

Monday: 9am – 5pm

Tuesday: 9am – 5pm

Wednesday: 9am – 5pm

Thursday: 9am – 5pm

Friday: 9am – 5pm

The above article was sourced from the Help Harry Help Others website and is subject to change.

Blog Posts

Charities: Sands.

Charities: Frankie And Zoe Do Sober For October For Sands.

Mental Health: I Am A Domestic Violence Survivor By Paul Hibbert.

Notes And Links

Help Harry Help Others – The image shown at the top of this page is the copyright of Help Harry Help Others and comes from their official website.

Help Harry Help Others on Facebook.

Help Harry Help Others on Twitter.

Help Harry Help Others on Instagram.

Help Harry Help Others on YouTube.

Help Harry Help Others featured in Blues News on 22/09/2023.

Birmingham City: January Transfers For The 2023/24 Season

You can read lots more about Blues by clicking here.

One player was loaned in the January transfers, 2024 and two players were purchased. They were all midfielders.

Contents

January Transfers: 2023 – 2024 Season

Click on the player’s name to read their profile. This will take you to Birmingham City’s official website.

Click here to see our full first team squad for the 2023/24 season.

Midfielders

Number 13: Paik Seung-ho.

Welcome to Blues Paik.

Blog Posts

Birmingham City: A New Era Begins.

Birmingham City: A Tribute To Trevor Francis.

Birmingham City: Blues History.

Birmingham City: First Team Squad For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Fixtures, Results And Goal Scorers For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Blues Are Sadly Relegated To League One.

Birmingham City: Gary Rowett, Paul Robinson And Dave Carolan Return To Steady The Ship For Blues.

Birmingham City: Kits For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: My First Home Game Of The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Staff For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Summer Transfers For The 2023/24 Season.

Birmingham City: Trevor Francis.

Notes And Links

The Birmingham City Club logo shown at the top of this page and photos of our players is the copyright of Birmingham City F.C. and has come from Blues social media pages and website, as has the subsequent information. The new summer signings for the 2023/24 season image came from The BCFC Project via Facebook. Anything else is from Wikipedia.

Wikipedia content is subject to change.

Birmingham City F.C. – Official website.

Birmingham City on Facebook – This is their official Facebook page.

Birmingham City on Twitter – This is their official Twitter page.

Birmingham City on YouTube – This is their official YouTube page.

Blues Store Online – Birmingham City’s official club store online.

BCFC The Project on Facebook – This is their official Facebook page.

Poetry: A Visit From St. Nicholas By Clement Clarke Moore

Here is a classic Christmas poem better known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Contents

A Visit From St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap –
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet up with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof –
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedlar just opening his pack.
His eyes – how they twinkled; his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!“

By Clement Clarke Moore.

Blog Posts

Blue Peter: An Advent Crown For Christmas.

Books: A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens.

Christmas: A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens – Screen Versions.

Christmas: Nostalgic Christmas Adverts.

Jokes: Christmas Jokes.

Music: Christmas Music.

Poetry: Harley Davidson Christmas Poem By Unknown.

Notes And Links

The image at the top of the page is from unknown via iStock.

The image above of Saint Nicholas is the copyright of Wikipedia user CrazyPhunk. It comes with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0 ).

Birmingham City: Blues History

You can read lots more about Blues by clicking here.

Below is a series of videos from Birmingham City which looks back on its history via interviews with ex-players and how it affected them as they celebrate their time playing for the club.

To read more history of Birmingham City click here.

Contents

Noel Blake

Noel Blake discusses his time at Blues, that Villa game, and his successes as a coach with England.

Ricky Otto

Ricky Otto discusses everything from his early life in Hackney, ending up in prison for armed robbery, and becoming Blues’ record signing.

Clayton Donaldson

Clayton Donaldson discusses his rise up the football leagues, his special relationship with fans at St. Andrew’s and becoming a player-manager.

Blog Posts

Birmingham City: First Team Squad For The 2024/25 Season.

Birmingham City: Kits For The 2024/25 Season.

Birmingham City: News For The 2024/25 Season.

Birmingham City: Our 2023/24 Season In Review.

Birmingham City: Staff For The 2024/25 Season.

Birmingham City: Summer Transfers For The 2024/25 Season.

Birmingham City: The 2023/24 Season Archive.

Birmingham City: Trevor Francis

Birmingham City: Welcome To New Manager Chris Davies.

Notes And Links

The image shown at the top of this page is copyright of Birmingham City F.C.

The videos shown above are via YouTube.

Birmingham City F.C. – Official website.

Birmingham City on Facebook – This is their official Facebook page.

Birmingham City on Twitter – This is their official Twitter page.

Birmingham City on YouTube – This is their official YouTube page.

Blues Store Online – Birmingham City’s official club store online.

Halloween Photos (Part 4)

Growing up in England from a child to a teenager in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, Halloween was an American thing you saw on the telly. There was no dressing up and trick-or-treating, not in my family home anyway. Even when my kids were younger I never really bothered much about Halloween. It was just all too American for me and just liked the English traditions I was brought up with. They had fun wearing masks, bobbing for apples etc. but we never went out dressed up knocking on people’s doors, in fact, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone else do it either.

Nowadays all of the above is a common sight. I am no killjoy and I don’t knock anyone who really enjoys it. I admit it’s a fun thing for kids to do and a good excuse for a party for the adults which I have enjoyed going to in the past few years. When you have suffered from depression and anxiety for as long as I have, just to be included can be a lifesaver.

The main thing I like about Halloween is dressing up and the Horror theme to it. I have never celebrated Halloween in my life in the past because, since I was a kid, I have loved horror. Every day is Halloween for me, ha ha.

Below are photos of Halloween celebrations of me and my family over the years.

The quality of some of these photos is not the greatest due to poor-quality camera equipment. I have tried to enhance them the best I can but they are worth reminiscing about on here regardless.

Contents

2022 (Continued)

Click here for 2022 details.

A small Halloween holiday family get-together.

Me, my sister Julie and great nephews Archie, Harley, Kenny and Oscar.

My goody bag from the kid’s get-together.

I wasn’t expecting this treat from my niece Joanne so it was nice to be included as one of the kids, ha ha and I thank her for it.

2023

This was my sixth Halloween party and I wore a Frankenstein costume complete with my very cool mask. This realistic full overhead, latex mask with added hair (designed in the U.S.A. and made in Mexico) is officially licenced by Universal Studios and made for Trick Or Treat Studios and, for a very pleasant change, the quality of it was exactly like in the photo from the place I ordered it from (but I knew it would be after reading very good reviews). It has been my most expensive mask to date at £68 but that old saying you get what you pay for rings very true here. It was worth every penny and I can’t wait to put it on display in my bungalow one day. Regardless of the price, I was very happy about it and I enjoyed wearing it (it’s just a shame one or both of the electrodes were hidden a lot in the photos of me wearing it. This is because I pulled my t-shirt up too far without realising it). It has now become my favourite Halloween costume since I started wearing Halloween costumes, more so the mask element of it, the rest was a disaster!

I wore a black suit, black T-shirt and big black boots to try and get the full Frankenstein look from the first film which starred Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster.

It has a slit in the back to help get it on so I didn’t have to cut one in which was good. The mask is hard to get on and off but it isn’t too tight when it is on. However, there are two moulded bits by the eyes inside that are a bit uncomfortable as they dig into the bridge of my nose a bit but I’m sure these could be softened somehow. The eye holes are not that big to see through and I had to tilt my head up a bit to see better which is hard anyway with no glasses on like most overhead masks I can’t. I also couldn’t wear my hearing aids meaning I couldn’t hear that great either. Both these things are always annoying but it is what it is.

As I mentioned above this costume was a disaster for me. I had purchased four army green make-up pots (the closest colour I could get to match the mask and there were two for each arm) as I wasn’t sure how well they would spread. It turned out I only needed one and, despite using make-up primer, it smudged on my fingers and palms. It didn’t help I left it too late to do and wasn’t fully dry. On top of that, I got it on my T-shirt and suit which meant I had to use a wet cloth to get it off but all it did was smudge in my clothes. Every time I tried to get it off my clothes because the cloth was wet, my hands would be partly washed which meant adding more paint! This did give it a muddy clothes look so I suppose it looked OK but I was very annoyed it happened.

I also brought FX modelling wax pot, fake blood, spirit gum glue and black cotton to achieve a scarred, sewn-on look around the wrists. There wouldn’t have been enough wax to use so I didn’t bother with it, therefore there was no point using the cotton. Anyway, I tried to cut a load of little threads and it was too thin and fiddly so I wouldn’t have been able to do it even if I wanted to with time flying by until I had to go out.

My boots were the biggest failure of the whole costume. They were disability boots my brother-in-law Ken gave me and one was lower than the other meaning that less than a week before the party I had to build the one up to make them even looking. I used about 1-inch polystyrene sheets for that, on one boot (to give it a bit more height) and more on the other to build it up to the same as the other one. I used normal glue which dissolved the polystyrene sheets so I used no nails glue hoping it would dry in time for the party, IT DID NOT. I used cardboard on them and super-glued a bit cut from tarpaulin to make souls and stop the polystyrene wrecking. That made no difference because all my weight just squashed everything down, glue and all and it went everywhere, eventually losing the soles altogether. The boots looked so crap and because of this I have cropped them off in the photos but you may see the odd bit of white. I am a perfectionist when it comes to a lot of things I do including ideas I have and when they don’t turn out like it was in my head (they rarely do) I do get disheartened when these things happen but I try not to let them bring me down too much and I get on with it, that is how my life is.

The photos below were taken at Ayelsford Hall in Shard End. I got ready at home and got a lift there from my Brother-In-Law Ken which was good because there was no way I was going to walk!

My sister Julie had to lock the door for me when we left mine and help put my phone and keys in my jacket pocket as my hands were painted green and I didn’t want them to smudge, ha ha.

The photos were taken on the 28th of October, 2023.

The EXCELLENT Frankenstein mask from Trick Or Treat Studios.

This version of Frankenstein’s monster is the original one played by Boris Karloff and the likeness is spot on.

The Frankenstein mask tag that came with it.

My very cool Frankenstein mask.

Frankenstein’s monster.

Various poses of me in my Frankenstein costume.

Frankenstein’s monster dancing.

Julie took a photo of me dancing, ha ha.

Frankenstein’s monster drinking.

It is thirsty work being chased by a flame-wielding mob, ha ha.

This is me attempting to have a drink with my Frankenstein mask on. I had to lift it up a bit making it look like I was drinking out my neck!

The mask doesn’t have a mouthpiece and I could have cut a little slit in it for using a straw but I didn’t want to spoil and risk (and possibly ruin) an expensive mask like this so I left it as it was.

Me and my sister Julie.

Me and my brother-in-law Ken.

Me, my sister Julie and niece Faye.

My Frankenstein boots.

It was a messy process modifying these boots (hence the glue inside them from my hands). Here you can see my final effort of changing their look slightly BEFORE I wore them and they became ruined.

Blog Posts

Halloween Photos (Part 1).

Halloween Photos (Part 2).

Halloween Photos (Part 3).

Notes And Links

This page contains links that send you to Wikipedia and other websites and are subject to change.

The image shown above of a carved pumpkin is the copyright of Wikipedia user Toby Ord. It comes with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.5 ).

The images above are copyright of Frank Parker unless stated.

The Frankenstein mask and tag photos at the top of the page are copyright of Universal via Universal Studios and Trick Or Treat Studios.

The photos above of me in my Frankenstein mask and costume, me with my sister Julie and brother-in-law Ken are copyright of Julie Shingler.

The photos above of me and my sister Julie, me, my sister Julie and niece Faye and one of me as Frankenstein’s monster are copyright of Faye Libby.

Creative Commons – Official website. They offer better sharing, advancing universal access to knowledge and culture, and fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

Universal Pictures – U.K. official website.

Universal Pictures on YouTube.

Universal Pictures on Facebook.

Universal Pictures on Twitter.

Universal Studios – Official website.

Universal Studios on YouTube.

Universal Studios on Facebook.

Universal Studios on Twitter.

Trick Or Treat Studios – Official website.

Trick Or Treat Studios on YouTube.

Trick Or Treat Studios on Facebook.

Trick Or Treat Studios on Twitter.

Trick Or Treat Studios on Instagram.

Trick Or Treat Studios on TikTok.

Wikipedia – Official website. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit in good faith. Its purpose is to benefit readers by containing information on all branches of knowledge. Hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, it consists of freely editable content, whose articles also have numerous links to guide readers to more information.

Halloween Photos (Part 3)

Below are photos of Halloween celebrations of me and my family over the years.

The quality of some of these photos is not the greatest but I have tried to enhance them the best I can but they are worth reminiscing about on here regardless.

Contents

2021 (Continued)

Click here for 2021 details.

Me and my sister Julie.

Me and my great nephew Billy.

My cool Freddy Krueger Halloween costume.

I won the Best Costume award for this. Thank you to my niece Faye for that and the bottle of Bucks Fizz and the cool cover it was in that she crocheted herself.

Hey You Guys!

The day after the Halloween party I tried on the mask my sister Yvonne gave me what she wore of Sloth from The Goonies.

It doesn’t exactly look like him and I can guarantee it did in the stock photo from where it was purchased from.

I happily had it to add to my mask collection as Yvonne was just going to throw it away! It is another mask that is not full over the head so my glasses can be worn underneath it if I decide to wear it again which I doubt but I am always happy to receive anything free regarding horror, masks and Halloween costumes. They are all appreciated.

2022

This was my fifth Halloween party and I wore my cool Werewolf costume. Like the previous years, the quality of the mask was nothing like in the photo from the place I ordered it from but I wasn’t unhappy about it because it was very close and I enjoyed wearing it. It was my fourth favourite Halloween costume since I started wearing Halloween costumes.

I ordered myself some slip-on werewolf feet, and werewolf gloves and, just like most masks in stock photos that you buy, these were not as good quality as them and I didn’t like how the feet slipped on over your shoes but it was the best I could find. I wore a blooded shirt with it. I got some fake fur to stick to my chest using titty tape, ha ha. I made my own meaty blood and that was a laugh (see below) and I used a severed hand prop (which I rubbed in dirt and sprayed fake blood on it) to complete the scary look to it all.

This wasn’t the werewolf I wanted to go as originally. I wanted to go as the Universal Classic Monsters The Wolf Man version from 1941, starring Lon Chaney Jnr. However, there wasn’t a mask available for him so I thought I would try and get a look similar to my favourite werewolf film ever, An American Werewolf In London. I saw a very cool mask that would have been cool but after reading a lot of reviews and seeing you really get a PATHETIC version of it, (no surprise there), I decided to go for a generic werewolf look. It bothered me that everything I wore didn’t match the same shade of brown but regardless it was a costume I enjoyed wearing.

Picture this scene. I had recently been attacked and bitten by a werewolf but I managed to get away somehow. The next night there was a full moon and I changed into a wolf man. I run around outside to find someone to kill. A bloke sees me, panics and runs into some nearby muddy woods. I attack him and he falls to the ground. I grab his legs and drag him. Screaming, he grabs any fallen trees and branches he can to stop himself from going any further. Desperately clawing the ground, his dirty hands could not save him now). I pounce on him, bite his throat and chew on it, causing blood to soak my shirt. I bite one of his dirty hands off before running off with it in my hand to find my next victim. This was the inspiration for the look I wanted to achieve for this Halloween party. I have always had a great imagination since I was little!

This was another tight mask meaning I couldn’t wear my glasses underneath making it hard to see (especially in the dark) but I could wear my hearing aids which is always good at noisy parties. However, it was not as tight as three years ago and I didn’t have to cut a slit in the back of it like I did with that one but I still had trouble getting it on and off. Out of all my masks, this was the one I sweated the most in. I was very hot wearing this. I did put baby talcum powder in it but it made no difference.

As mentioned above, the meaty blood I made (the night before) was a laugh because, oh boy, did it smell!

I used fake blood in a jug and added ripped-up cotton balls, green and red food colouring and washing-up liquid to get the colour and constancy of blood-stained chewed-up meat. I just couldn’t get it how I pictured it in my head.

I added more cotton wool and put it in the microwave (not shown) thinking the heat would help thicken it but that was a disaster. The whole lot overflowed and made my microwave look like a horror scene from a film!

I was either getting too light, or too dark by adding a bit of red and brown sauce to it, too watery or too thick, by adding shredded tissue to it. I added sweet pickle so the chunks in it would make it look like chunks of flesh. Eventually, I was sort of happy with what I had (and you can see in the photos of it in my mouth and hanging from it, it looked realistic) but as you can imagine it smelled very tangy indeed and it sure did make the car stink on the journey there and it was noticed by people at the party too. Still, it made the whole experience very memorable, ha ha.

The photos below were taken at my sister Julie’s house where I got ready and at my nephew Wayne’s house on the 30th of October, 2022.

My cool werewolf Halloween costume.

Complete with meat in my mouth and hanging from my fur.

My cool werewolf Halloween costume.

I had just got ready at Julie’s ready for the Halloween party.

My cool werewolf Halloween costume.

It is thirsty work being a werewolf and killing people, ha ha.

Me and my sister Julie.

Me and my great nephew Harley.

Making fake bloodied meat.

My cool werewolf Halloween mask.

The day after the Halloween party I washed my shirt and mask for keepsakes. The wolf looks like he has had a stroke, ha ha.

Later that day I went to a kid’s get-together. It wasn’t a Halloween party as such so I haven’t classed it as one.

Anyway, I wasn’t sure what to wear so I cobbled an outfit together. I went as a devil. I have had this mask for a long time. my gloves were from my 2017 outfit and my cloak from the 2019 one. I already had the shrunken head (again from a long time ago as part of my horror collection). This devil liked to shrink people’s heads, chop them off and keep them as souvenirs.

There’s that great imagination again!

The photos below were taken at my sister Julie’s house where I got ready on the 31st of October, 2022.

My devil Halloween costume.

Blog Posts

Halloween Photos (Part 1).

Halloween Photos (Part 2).

Halloween Photos (Part 4).

Notes And Links

This page contains links that send you to Wikipedia and is subject to change.

The image shown above of a carved pumpkin is the copyright of Wikipedia user Toby Ord. It comes with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.5 ).

The images above are copyright of Frank Parker unless stated.

The images above of me and my great nephew Billy, my cool werewolf Halloween costume and my sister Julie, and my great nephew Harley are copyright of Julie Shingler.

Creative Commons – Official website. They offer better sharing, advancing universal access to knowledge and culture, and fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

Halloween Photos (Part 2)

Below are photos of Halloween celebrations of me and my family over the years.

The quality of some of these photos is not the greatest but I have tried to enhance them the best I can but they are worth reminiscing about on here regardless.

Contents

2019

This was my third Halloween party and I wore my cool Nosferatu Halloween costume. Like the previous years, the quality of the Count Orlok mask was nothing like in the photo from the place I ordered it from but I wasn’t unhappy about it because it was very close and I enjoyed wearing it. It has been my second favourite Halloween costume since I started wearing them.

I ordered myself some false nails (slightly exaggerated to give my fingers a more bony, scary look), a cloak to wear with it and I wore a black shirt, black trousers and black shoes to try and get the old-fashioned look to it all.

The mask was bloody tight! I had to cut a slit in the back of it and I still had trouble getting it on and off. I couldn’t wear my glasses underneath which annoys me as it means I can’t see much, especially when it gets dark. It was tighter around my left eye and caused my eye to open more but this added to the scary look, ha ha.

The photos below was taken at my sister Julie’s house where I got ready and at my niece Faye’s house (where the party was) on the 26th of September, 2019.

You can watch the classic 1922 silent film classic Nosferatu below.

My very cool Nosferatu mask.

After I got ready for the Halloween party, and had this photo taken on my phone, I noticed (as you can see here) that the nail from my right-hand thumb was missing and I had white make up on my shirt. That was annoying as it spoiled the photo a bit for me.

My great niece Lucy helped me look everywhere for it (bless her) and I eventually found it in the bathroom where I got ready.

Me (minus a nail on my thumb) and my sister Julie in our Halloween costumes.

My very cool Nosferatu Halloween costume.

Me and my sisters Cathy and Julie in our Halloween costumes.

Me, my sister Cathy and my niece Joanne in our Halloween costumes.

Me and my niece Joanne in our Halloween costumes.

My very cool Nosferatu Halloween costume.

Me and my sister Yvonne in our Halloween costumes.

Nosferatu 1922 Silent Film In Full

The 1922 silent film Nosferatu or to give its full title, Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror. It starred Max Schreck as Count Orlok.

The scene where Nosferatu’s shadow goes up the stairway is a classic scene and it scared me when I was very young. I never watched all of the film until I was older.

2020

There was no Halloween party this year thanks to COVID (the less I say about a lot of bull shit regarding this the better. That’s a topic for another day). Me and my sisters, Julie, Cathy and Yvonne did a video call so I never bothered with a full Halloween costume, just this crap demon ripping through a face mask and a bloody t-shirt. As ever quality of the mask was nothing like in the photo from the place I ordered it from and this was the most I had ever been unhappy I had ever been because it was nothing like what I thought I was going to get. I wasn’t surprised though due to experience but I didnt think it was going to be this bad. I added blood to it to try and make it look better but I never enjoyed wearing it one bit and was glad to take it off after the call. It was my worst Halloween costume since I started wearing them.

The mask wasn’t too tight like my mask from the year before and I didn’t have to cut a slit in the back of it like that one. I could wear my glasses underneath this one which was pleasing.

The photo below was taken at my house on Halloween, 2019.

2021

This was my fourth Halloween party and I wore my cool Freddy Krueger costume. Like the previous years, the quality of the mask was nothing like in the photo from the place I ordered it from but I wasn’t unhappy about it because it was very close and I enjoyed wearing it. It was my third favourite Halloween costume since I started wearing Halloween costumes.

I ordered myself a hat to wear with it and I wore Freddy’s famous stripey jumper and gloves, black trousers and black shoes to try and get the full A Nightmare On Elm Street look. The film starred Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

The was another tight mask meaning I couldn’t wear my glasses underneath again or my hearing aids making it hard to see (especially in the dark) and hear. However, it was not as tight as two years ago and I didn’t have to cut a slit in the back of it like I did with that one but I still had trouble getting it on and off. At least this one didn’t hurt my left eye, ha ha.

The photos below were taken at my sister Julie’s house where I also got ready on the 30th of September, 2019.

My cool Freddy Krueger mask.

My cool Freddy Krueger Halloween costume.

My cool Freddy Krueger mask.

Me, my niece Joanne, great nephew Archie and brother-in-law Ken.

My cool Freddy Krueger Halloween costume.

Even Freddy needs to check his phone now and then, ha ha.

Me and my sister Julie.

Whatever I said it made Julie laugh out load, ha ha.

Blog Posts

Halloween Photos (Part 1).

Halloween Photos (Part 3).

Halloween Photos (Part 4).

Notes And Links

This page contains links that send you to Wikipedia and is subject to change.

The image shown above of a carved pumpkin is the copyright of Wikipedia user Toby Ord. It comes with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.5 ).

The images above are copyright of Frank Parker unless stated.

The images above of me in my cool Freddy Krueger Halloween costume and of me, my niece Joanne, great nephew Archie and brother-in-law Ken are copyright of Julie Shingler.

The images above of me and my sister Julie are unknown because I can’t remember who took them?!

Creative Commons – Official website. They offer better sharing, advancing universal access to knowledge and culture, and fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

The 1922 silent film Nosferatu is in the public domain.

Halloween Photos (Part 1)

Growing up in England from a child to a teenager in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, Halloween was an American thing you saw on the telly. There was no dressing up and trick-or-treating, not in my family home anyway. Even when my kids were younger I never really bothered much about Halloween. It was just all too American for me and just liked the English traditions I was brought up with. They had fun wearing masks, bobbing for apples etc. but we never went out dressed up knocking on people’s doors. in fact, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone else do it either.

Below are photos of Halloween celebrations of me and my family over the years.

The quality of some of these photos is not the greatest but I have tried to enhance them the best I can but they are worth reminiscing about on here regardless.

Contents

1990’s

Happy times from back in the day.

I don’t know the exact date unfortunately of the following photos but it was in the 90’s.

My lovely son Frank Jnr and lovely daughter Debbie bobbing for apples.

Frank Jnr and Debbie wearing Halloween masks.

2017

The costume I wore this year was meant to be a zombie in grey clothes but it looked nothing like the photo I ordered it from. Needless to say, I was not happy with it but I wore it anyway. It wasn’t a full over-the-head mask so the only good thing about it was it wasn’t tight and I could wear my glasses underneath it which is good because it helps me see better, especially when it gets dark.

Sadly I don’t have any other photos of it but I took it all to show Mom what I was wearing for the Halloween party at my sister Julie’s house that was in early November.

This was the first Halloween party I had ever been invited to.

This photo was taken at my mom’s bungalow on the 17th of October, 2017.

My lovely mom wearing the mask from my Halloween costume.

This wonderful photo of Mom’s fantastic smile was taken on the 3rd of November, 2017.

Mom wearing her Halloween costume at a 2017 Halloween party.

Fireworks taken on the 3rd of November, 2017.

Fireworks at a 2017 Halloween party.

Tyler loved watching the fireworks.

My lovely grandson Tyler enjoyed the fireworks with his auntie Julie, his daddy and auntie Cathy at a 2017 Halloween party.

Tyler enjoyed the fireworks with his auntie Julie at a 2017 Halloween party.

Tyler enjoyed the fireworks with his auntie Cathy at a 2017 Halloween party.

Tyler enjoyed the fireworks at a 2017 Halloween party.

2018

This is my scary pumpkin man Halloween costume and, like the previous year, the quality of it was nothing like in the photo from the place I ordered it from. Again I wasn’t happy about that but it was close so I felt OK wearing it and, due to it not being a full over-the-head mask again, it wasn’t tight and I could wear my glasses underneath it again which is as good as ever because it helps me see better, especially when it gets dark.

I wore it with black trousers and used a severed hand prop (not shown) to complete the scary look to it all.

This was my second Halloween party but sadly I have no photos from it.

The photos below were taken at my house on the 27th of September, 2018 before we went to the Halloween party at my niece Joanne’s house.

My lovely granddaughter Kasey and me wearing our Halloween costumes before a 2018 Halloween party.

Kasey proudly showed off her Halloween costume and bag before a 2018 Halloween party.

Kasey was very pleased with her Halloween nails before a 2018 Halloween party.

Kasey loved stopping at mine over the Halloween holiday in 2018.

The photos below were taken on Halloween, 2018.

Kasey loved her Build-A-Bear wig and her visit to McDonald’s.

My lovely Dog Rosie looks like Donald Trump below, ha ha.

Rosie joined in with the Halloween holiday fun in 2018 wearing Kasey’s Build-A-Bear wig.

Blog Posts

Halloween Photos (Part 2).

Halloween Photos (Part 3).

Halloween Photos (Part 4).

Notes And Links

This page contains a link that sends you to Wikipedia and is subject to change.

The image shown above of a carved pumpkin is the copyright of Wikipedia user Toby Ord. It comes with a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.5 ).

The images above are copyright of Frank Parker.

Creative Commons – Official website. They offer better sharing, advancing universal access to knowledge and culture, and fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

Charities: Frankie And Zoe Do Sober For October For Sands

The death of a child, as is the death of anyone close to you, is devastating news for anyone, especially when that devastation happens during pregnancy.

This is something that both my Son Frank Jnr. and Daughter-In-Law Zoe and Daughter Debbie have sadly had to experience.

Frank and Zoe both had tremendous help and support from Sands. In October 2023 they went Sober For October in aid of Sands. They hoped to raise £200 for the Charity Sands and to date have raised £220. WELL DONE to both of them. You can still donate to this here.

In memory of Georgie Parker, 2019. R.I.P.

Contents

Frankie And Zoe’s Story

On the 11th of November, 2019 Frankie and Zoe unfortunately lost their baby at 13 weeks old. It was a very traumatizing experience for them. They had to hold their tiny baby in their hands and say goodbye and they will never forget that moment.

They hoped to raise £200 for the Charity Sands and to date have raised £220. WELL DONE to both of them.

You can still donate if you want to and they are appreciative of any amount (via JustGiving) towards this charity that has helped them so much or any help you can give e.g. by simply sharing this post.

About Sands

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, operates across the U.K.

They support anyone affected by the death of a baby. Working in partnership with health professionals they ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care. They promote improvements in practice and funding research that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

They depend on the amazing energies of their supporters to raise the vital funds that they need to deliver the wide range of services that they offer.

Donate

You can donate to Frankie and Zoe’s Sober For October appeal on their JustGiving page by clicking here.

Blog Posts

Charities: Help Harry Help Others.

Charities: Sands.

Mental Health: I Am A Domestic Violence Survivor By Paul Hibbert.

Notes And Links

The image at the top of this page is copyright of Frank Parker Jnr.

Sands – The image shown at the top of this page is the copyright of Sands and comes from their official website.